Side by Side
Tribeca Film | Release Date: August 17, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The New York TimesA.O. ScottAug 30, 2012
For a film geek this movie is absolute heaven, a dream symposium in which directors, cinematographers, editors and a few actors gather to opine on the details of their craft. It is worth a year of film school and at least 1,000 hours of DVD bonus commentary. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanAug 29, 2012
It's a lesson in character to hear directors from David Lynch (digital believer) to Christopher Nolan (celluloid diehard) spout off. Read full review
91
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerSep 7, 2012
This may sound like a dry subject, but, as presented here, it's anything but – especially if you have more than a passing interest in the art and science of what gets projected onto our movie screens these days. Read full review
91
The PlaylistJessica KiangAug 17, 2012
It sounds pretty dull as a logline, but stacked with gossipy, informal anecdotes and opinions from many of the most respected directors, cinematographers, editors, execs, VFX artists and digital wizards in the industry, it proves instead to be highly entertaining and informative, and by its close has presented a thoroughly diverting overview of the debate. Read full review
90
VarietyLeslie FelperinAug 13, 2012
Although laid out with such clarity that any layperson could catch the gist of what's being discussed, Side by Side is not afraid to get nitty-gritty about more technical matters. Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter TraversAug 23, 2012
No true movie junkie is going to want to miss Side by Side. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayAug 29, 2012
What's most valuable about Side By Side is how comprehensive it is in documenting how the art form changed. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnAug 16, 2012
Produced by Keanu Reeves, this talking heads survey of the transition from shooting on film to digital video is against all odds an imminently watchable overview, and not only because Reeves has decent interview skills. Read full review
80
Total FilmSimon KinnearJan 21, 2013
With film labs closing down and new formats springing up all the time, this is a timely stock-take of 21st Century cinema. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzSep 27, 2012
It's this simple: If you like movies, you need to see Side by Side. Read full review
80
Time OutKeith UhlichSep 4, 2012
No side overwhelms the other in the back-and-forth; you feel more like a profoundly uncertain moment is being marked, with little concrete sense of the outcome beyond mankind's enduring hunger for moving pictures. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierAug 30, 2012
Film enthusiasts especially will appreciate this wonky but fascinating documentary about the process of making movies. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMichelle OrangeAug 21, 2012
At its most fascinating, Side by Side examines the idea that changing formats means changing not just the way movies are made but watched, adjusting the essence of what looks and feels "real." Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonAug 16, 2012
The situation is fascinating, and given an illuminating investigation here. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerAug 13, 2012
Tracing the rise of digital movies via a wealth of charts, clips and candid testimonies, this Keanu Reeves-produced and narrated investigation offers a thorough analysis of what's very likely the most important cinematic development since the advent of sound. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickAug 30, 2012
Side by Side is an eye-opening, comprehensive look at the biggest technological revolution in Hollywood history. One huge irony is that digital formats are evolving so rapidly that the only foolproof way to archive and preserve a movie shot on video for future generations is . . . to transfer it to film. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley MorrisAug 23, 2012
The directors and distributors can't rely on us. They should be implored to watch their movies in the same theaters we do. It's the only way for them to understand that a crime is being committed. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineBill WeberAug 13, 2012
A serviceable primer on the digital-celluloid divide in commercial cinema, if a bit unwieldy in scope and in danger of being made obsolete by the next version of the RED camera. Read full review
50
Boxoffice MagazineVadim RizovSep 11, 2012
An industry that's lost 90% of its silent films and which has consistently demonstrated - montage lip-service aside - a staggering lack of interest in its own history can hardly be trusted to transfer films from format to format and keep them intact, let alone in good shape. Read full review
50
USA TodayScott BowlesSep 1, 2012
Alas, if you're someone who enjoys movies as, say, a two-hour escape, you may find this documentary on the death of film at digital's hands a bit too inside baseball. Read full review
More From This Movie

82 Critic Reviews

8.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL